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Acts 25 Acts 24:24-25 and After Certain Days, When Felix Came with His Wife Drusilla, Which Was a Jewess, He Sent for Paul

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Acts 25 Acts 24:24-25 and After Certain Days, When Felix Came with His Wife Drusilla, Which Was a Jewess, He Sent for Paul Acts 25 Acts 24:24-25 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. What caused Felix to tremble ? The verse tells us, Pauls’s teaching on “righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come … it is certain that Felix was devoid of “righteousness”& “temperance” … leaving a person nothing to look forward to but the judgement in which Paul had only recently taught in his letter to the Romans. Romans 1:18-2:11 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Romans 2:1-11 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;1 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:2 11 For there is no respect of persons with God. Now back to Felix. Acts 24:26-27 He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him. 27 But after two years Porcius Festus (POR-cee-uhs FES-tuhs) came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound. Acts 25:1 Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. PORCIUS FESTUS TAKES OVER: Boles said, that "Festus was a better man than Felix, there being a strong contrast here between the honesty and straighttforwardness of Festus and the wickedness of Felix," it is true, nevertheless, that Festus was a worse governor, affording a startling proof that a strong evil ruler is sometimes better than a good weak one. The incompetence of Festus must have been the laughingstock of the whole temple crowd in Jerusalem. He was naive, totally ignorant of the devices of the people he had come to rule, agreeable, gullible, and obsessed with such a desire for popularity that he would gladly have sacrificed an innocent man to enhance his standing with the Jews and the Sanhedrin Court. Now another governor of Judaea kept an innocent man in prison that he might make himself popular. Felix and Festus both from the same motive riveted the chains of an innocent man. Thus the same enmity of the world against the gospel which set Barabbas free and killed Jesus … left Paul bound. “ascended from Caesarea ...” Luke is always perfect, Jerusalem is up- hill … Although Caesarea was his capital, Festus quite properly understood that Jerusalem, as the largest city of his province and the center of the religious hierarchy of Israel, which was of major concern to him; hence the trip so soon after entering into his new dominion. Acts 25:2 Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him, The pressure of this request from the leading Jews was implicit in the fact that they were powerful enough to have "brought about the removal of Festus' predecessor Felix" and they doubtless thought they could take advantage of Festus' newness in office and his natural desire to please such an important group of his subjects. Acts 25:3 And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him. “laying wait in the way to kill him ...” Festus, of course, had no idea whatever of the murderous plot and cunning deceit of the religious apparatus of the Jews. He should have known that the "favor" they had asked of him was based upon some damnable scheme of their own; but Festus seems to have accepted their request as honorable. It was his jealousy for the power of his own office as Procurator which led him to deny their request, as in the next verse. Acts 25:4 But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly [thither]. This was a mortal danger to Paul. For if Festus had honored the request of the high priest and his group to bring Paul to Jerusalem, the apostle would almost certainly have been killed. Festus would not have sent such a large escort as Lysias had sent, for he was ignorant of any danger. God, however, protected Paul, using the new governor's vanity as the motivation of his denial of the "favor" they coveted. Thus, as Wesley said: "By what invisible springs does God govern the world! Festus' care to preserve the imperial privileges was the means of preserving Paul's life. Acts 25:5 Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with [me], and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. Acts 25:6 And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought. PAUL'S FOURTH DEFENSE: THE SPEECH BEFORE GOVERNOR FESTUS Commentators have lavished praise on Festus for this prompt hearing; but there is no indication that his promptness was due to anything other than the insistence of the high priestly conclave on action as soon as possible. What is in evidence here is not a new governor's anxious desire to further justice, but a servile willingness to appease Paul's bitter enemies the powerful Jewish Sanhedrin. Acts 25:7And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. the Jews which came down... These had evidently traveled with Festus (Acts 25:5), bending the ear of the governor during the journey whom they hoped to manipulate. This group was headed by the high priest, an imposing figure indeed; and many a procurator could tell of the power of such a man. “… grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove ...” no doubt the charges were the same as those reviewed in the last chapter, with whatever variations the priests might have used in an effort to dress up their worthless case against Paul. They were as ineffective before Festus as they had been before Felix.
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